Ever since the Japan Postal Service began printing standardized postcards in 1873, the exchange of New Year's greetings has been a popular tradition in Japan. People would ink-brush set phrases onto the cards, often alongside images such as Mt Fuji, red-crowned cranes, sea turtles, or the oriental zodiac animal of the new year. In the 1960s, calligrapher Kunio Koike was inspired to create a more accessible art form that would be spontaneous, honest, and personal without being self-obsessed. He combined simple images with brief words on washi postcards and called it “New Year’s cards in their everyday clothes.” With his slogan “It’s okay to be awkward. Awkwardness has charm,” Koike encouraged people to express themselves artistically even if they didn’t have much experience or talent. The passion for etegami spread throughout Japan and people began exchanging postcard art through every season, not just New Year's. In 1996, Koike founded the Japan Etegami Society, which publishes a monthly magazine and holds exhibitions of submitted etegami works for public viewing.